SDiB is the leading debating platform for safety and fire professionals in the construction industry. Initiated in collaboration with Intersec in 2012, the Safety Design in Buildings Campaign debates safety standards and practices in the built environment. Expert Talks discuss improved protection of people and buildings by looking at trends in the GCC and construction sector generally.

The event brings leading Fire Safety Consultants, Architects, Engineers and Testing Experts together with Safety System Suppliers to give updates on industry standards and provide a debating platform for best practice.

The conference program will feature presentations and discussions including:

Retrofitting for Fire Safety: Assessing operational and business risks and incentives of retrofitting cladding for improved fire safety.

Using tools and technologies of BIM, VR, AR & 3D modeling to create optimal fire safety strategies and building operations.

Achieving fire safety in the construction phase: How to best involve the design team to mitigate fire safety risks.

Promoting an organisational culture of prioritising safety: from design, planning, implementation and building operation.

Meeting NFPA standards and Fire Safety considerations for high-security and military installations.

Outlining The Challenges And Learning From Best Practices Of Implementing Compliance.Abhishek Chhabra, Market Development Manager | Thomas Bell-Wright International Consultants

09:40 – 10:10

Panel Discussion: Maintaining Consistency Of Fire Safety Standards In Construction – From Materials, Code Applications And Supervision Of Construction.Outlining the roles of stakeholders: from the client, consultants, Contractors and government. How can the approvals process and transparency of communication be improved?Panellists: Abhishek Chhabra, Market Development Manager | Thomas Bell-Wright International ConsultantsPeter van Gorp, Director of Fire and Life Safety | AESGAndy Dean, Head of Facades | WSP Shamim Rashid Sumar, Director Business Development | Jensen Hughes

10:10 – 10:30

Coffee Break

10:30 – 10:45

Fire Safety Design & TechnologyThe presenter discusses holistic fire safety design, with particular emphasis on sustainable design by integration of operational and end user requirements into the fire strategy design process. All too often designs are purely driven to satisfy code requirements or to obtain approval and ultimately may not meet operator or end user requirements. Many new technologies are now available to support operators manage fire safety in their buildings which can be considered during the design process. The launching of a new operational facility involves complex interactions of people, process, technology and environment – the presenter gives an outline of the technology that can facilitate a greater level of fire safety awareness and implementation.David Black, Middle East Director and Principal Fire Safety Engineer | Joule Group

“Using Tools Of VR, AR & 3D To Create Optimal Fire Safety Strategies”Exponentially increasing computer power and advances in software make it possible to radically improve fire safety in buildings by visualizing and factoring in human behavior during a building evacuation. This presentation gives an overview of technologies currently in used and developed for building design and how this benefits safety. – Using BIM and VR to identify hidden bottlenecks and natural movements of crowds – Modeling Evacuation Strategies: simulating scenarios in all types of building layouts – Analysis of fire protection and buildings operation using 3D and VR visualizationHarold S Dickenson, Founder & CEO | Kanousei

11:00 – 11:15

Digital Tools For Commissioning WitnessingOnsite data capture for inspection reports, database data mining with the use of AI and collaborating through the cloud to increase productivity, efficiency and accuracy.Shamim Rashid Sumar, Director Business Development | Jensen Hughes

11:15 – 11:25

Presentation Introducing Panel Discussion: Looking To The Future Of Technology In Fire SafetyThis presentation will look at advances in digital technologies and tools to achieve better fire safety and rescue operations buildings in the case of fire. From systems that analyze and process data to give advance warning and faster response times to actionable information to help firefighters. How do views and priorities differ across markets as to what is the best return on investment?Karen P Martin, Founder & President | MARTECH Services & MARTECH Fire Solutions, Inc.

Presentation: Investigation Into The Use Of Post-Fire Corridor Smoke Clearance In The Early Stages Of Fire Development In Super High-Rise BuildingsThis presentation will look at the principles of life safety and fire fighting approaches for super high-rise buildings and use case studies to demonstrate how to adapt planning for active fire protection, smoke and heat ventilation, design considerations and field testing corridor smoke control. Tom Sagris, Group Principal | Design Confidence

Gulf Fire is the only quarterly journal specific to the Middle East Fire market dedicated to both fire protection and firefighting. The editorial features are written by industry experts and comprise a unique blend focussing on the latest technology, training methods and equipment as well as highlighting sector specific issues from around the region. Regular product and company profiles, events updates and news make Gulf Fire Magazine the first choice read for fire protection and firefighting professionals.